U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the Presidio port of entry seized just over 73 pounds of marijuana today. The drugs were hidden within children’s furniture carried in the cargo area of a passenger bus.

“You name it and we have seen it. To the untrained eye, this was just another man crossing the port of entry; however to the well trained CBP officer, it was a smuggling attempt,” said Patricia Aveitia, acting CBP Presidio Port Director. “We have intercepted drugs in tires, fuel tanks, and now in furniture.”

The seizure was made just after 2 am when a 1995 Van Hool passenger bus made entry from Mexico. The bus carried five passengers and the driver. CBP officers conducted an intensive inspection of the bus and discovered boxed furniture mingled with luggage in the cargo hold of the bus. Further inspection of the boxes revealed furniture of an unusual heavy weight. The officers drilled into the furniture and discovered a green leafy substance which later tested positive for the properties of marijuana. A total of 72 bundles were removed from within the furniture with an approximate weight of 73.48 pounds.

CBP officers took custody of the driver and owner of the bus, 47-year-old Alejandro Faber of McKinney, Texas. He was turned over to and arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI special agents to face federal charges in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.

While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.